Elders provide gifts of wisdom

Parents, grandparents, and other elders in the community enrich our lives, and we can learn a lot from them.

As a reporter, I’ve come into contact with various elders who’ve made an impression on me with their stories of growing up in the Depression and learning to make ends meet. Their stories of hardship and endurance, along with a strong work ethic, provide younger generations with hope and perseverance.

On various occasions, I’ve had the privilege of talking with area residents turning 100 and once, with four sisters who between them had racked up 354 years.

Listening to their insight and wisdom is like garnering clips of how life used to be and how it can help us understand where we came from and where we’re headed.

I remember one interview years ago with a former teacher turning 100. She fondly remembered her years of teaching, first in Jonesville and then in Pittsford. For more than 30 years she taught chemistry, physics and biology and her favorite grades were the seventh and eighth grades, because at those ages students were receptive to her. She recalled holding a geography night when the children would dress up, present speeches and share food from different countries.

She recounted how life was difficult back in the early days when she worked hard on the farm. She told about the old irons on the stove, milking the cows and caring for the sheep and chickens.

Another turning 100 told me how he grew up near Frontier and as a contractor, built many houses in the Hillsdale area. In 1912 he and his family moved to a log house west of Pioneer where he has vivid memories of laying down in the lane when he was 3 and taking a nap while his family frantically searched for him.

He told about when he was paid 35 cents an hour as a contractor after the war when most starting salaries were 70 cents a day. He remembered riding the train out of Pioneer to Toledo to work as a bus boy after graduation, during the height of the Depression, and he drove the first motor driven bus in Pioneer, when gas was 13 cents a gallon.

He had traveled the world and was content to just enjoy life and to someday reach his goal of 115.

Another remarkable character was a local still yelling “fore” on the golf course while turning 100. He still went on weekly golf outings and had organized golf scrambles during the summers since 1986.

A woman in her 90s exercises daily and was another example of the importance of staying fit during the “golden years.” Watching her “pop” off her sofa and walk effortlessly to another room was enough to make we want to listen to her secrets to healthy living.

Page 2 of 2 - There was also a couple I interviewed this summer who celebrated their 70th anniversary with a lifetime of lessons learned. Their bond was just as strong, if not stronger, as when they were married in 1943. It was so enduring to see them hold hands and see their love and respect shine through in everything they recounted in their lives.

Yes, there’s much to learn from our elders. And, we can return the favor by showing kindness and friendship to them along with admiration and respect.

That’s why it’s so refreshing to see young people take an interest in those who may be three times their age. There is so much knowledge to hear of a bygone era, bringing into consciousness the value of our elders and their invaluable teachings.

Nancy Hastings is a staff writer for the Hillsdale Daily News. She can be reached at nhastings@hillsdale.net.